The arts do more than entertain. They inspire. They transcend. They bring people together in a way that connects the best inside all of us.
When you support the arts in Kansas City, you become part of the fabric woven from our communities. The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts stands at the forefront of the arts, providing the stages where song, dance, live theater, spoken word and more come alive for Kansas City.
It can’t be done without your help. You can find many ways to donate at the Kauffman Center, from the institutional level to sharing your personal time and goodwill as a volunteer.
Make an impact for something good, something positive and something that we all can share and enjoy—the arts in Kansas City.
Supporting the Goal
The Kauffman Center’s goal is to enrich the lives of everyone in our community through extraordinary and diverse performing arts experiences. To do this requires a tremendous amount of work, along with the financial backing to continue operations.
As a 501(c)(3) performing arts nonprofit in Kansas City, the Kauffman Center relies on its members and donors for nearly 25% of its annual operating budget. Your gifts and donations keep the dream alive, with funds going towards:
- General operations
- Staffing
- Building maintenance
- Various programs and initiatives
This includes the Open Doors fund, which supports community engagement programs including:
Related topic: What Are Performing Arts?
How You Can Help the Kauffman Center
Whether supporting the arts comes as a corporate commitment, a business contribution, or a personal pledge, monetary support for the Kauffman Center can be done via three different tiers.
Institutional Support
Foundations, trusts and government groups help the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts fill the stages and spaces with diverse, memorable performances. This institutional support funding also provides arts education outreach to community youth who may have never had the opportunity to experience such diverse and extraordinary performing arts.
As an institutional supporter, you’ll join an auspicious assembly of donors, including:
- Marion & Henry Bloch Family Foundation
- William T. Kemper Charitable Trust, UMB Bank
- Ronald D. Deffenbaugh Foundation
- Missouri Arts Council
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund of the City of Kansas City, MO
Endowment Gifts
Your endowment and legacy gifts make a world of difference to the future of the arts in Kansas City and we are grateful for any contribution you can make. By participating in the Kauffman Center endowment program, you ensure long-term support that makes a difference now and in the years to come.
Some of the endowment programs include:
- The Kauffman Center Future Endowment Fund
- The Community Outreach Endowment Fund
- The Performance / Programming Endowment Fund
- The Gift Shop Endowment Fund
- The Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ Endowment Fund
Legacy Gifts
You and your business can leave a lasting impact when you support the arts with a legacy gift. This unique pledge can also help you achieve certain financial goals, even as it continues to support the bringing of joy and inspiration to coming generations through the performing arts.
Small Business Support
Small business makes a big impact on the operations at the Kauffman Center. When a small business commits to an Ensemble Membership, they support the arts for all.
In return, small business can receive opportunities to:
- Elevate client meetings and entertainment
- Provide unique employee recognition and/or incentives
- Align your business with your support of the arts
Related topic: Add the Arts to Small Business Advertising in Kansas City.
Ensemble Memberships
Each Ensemble Membership level offers its own benefits to small businesses, at levels to fit your budgetary comfort.
$2,500+ Level
Benefits include:
- 2 complimentary tickets (Additional tickets may be available throughout period)
- One complimentary parking pass
- Invitations to networking events
- Website acknowledgment (text)
- Acknowledgment in Kauffman Center Presents program books (text)
- Recognition on ticket office LED screens during Kauffman Center Presents performances (text)
- Invitations to exclusive employee events
- And more!
$5,000+ Level
Benefits include:
- 4 complimentary tickets and 2 complimentary parking passes
- Invitations to networking events
- Venue rental discounts (1 free Tier 1 or 50% off Tier 2)
- 2 seat plaques
- Website acknowledgment (text)
- Acknowledgment in Kauffman Center Presents program books (text)
- Recognition on ticket office LED screens during Kauffman Center Presents performances (text)
- And more!
$10,000+ Level
Benefits include:
- 8 complimentary tickets and 4 complimentary parking passes
- Invitations to networking events
- Invitation to annual reception hosted by Julia Irene Dennie-Kauffman
- Venue rental discounts (1 free Tier 1 and 1 free Tier 2)
- 4 seat plaques
- Website acknowledgment (text)
- Acknowledgment in Kauffman Center Presents program books (text)
- Recognition on ticket office LED screens during Kauffman Center Presents performances (text)
- Kauffman Center Membership Concierge
- Invitations to exclusive employee events
- And more!
$25,000+ Level
Benefits include:
- 12 complimentary tickets and 6 complimentary parking passes
- Invitations to networking events
- Backstage tour with Kauffman Center CEO
- Invitation to annual reception hosted by Julia Irene Dennie-Kauffman
- Venue rental discounts (2 free Tier 2 or 50% off 1 Tier 3)
- 8 seat plaques
- Website acknowledgment (logo)
- Acknowledgment in Kauffman Center Presents program books (logo)
- Recognition on ticket office LED screens during Kauffman Center Presents performances (logo)
Recognition on ticket office LED screens 365 days per year (logo) - Kauffman Center Membership Concierge
- Opportunity to host Ensemble Roundtable Lunch or Breakfast
- And more!
Individual Support
It could be your gift, your entire family’s gift or a gift you give in honor of someone you know who would love to support the arts.
A Kauffman Center Spotlight Membership gives you flexible opportunities to donate in a way that’s both comfortable and beneficial. The perks of membership give you more incentives to enjoy the performing arts in Kansas City.
Spotlight Membership
This level allows you to easily support the arts, starting at just $6.25/month or $75/year. The flexible amount you wish to donate can go up to $2,500 annually.
Benefits include:
- Pre-sale ticket access
- Invitation to annual backstage tours
- 1 complimentary single-use valet parking pass
- Free performance tickets
- And more!
Spotlight Premier Membership
As a member of this exceptional group, your contributions of $5,000 or more annually help the Kauffman Center continue to stage world-class performances.
It also helps thousands of youth, families, veterans and more share in the uplifting and inspiring world of performing arts.
Benefits include:
- Personal concierge
- Invitations to artist Meet & Greets (when available)
- Invitations to members-only events
- 1 valet parking pass per complimentary performance
- Private backstage tour as requested
- And more!
Volunteering at the Kauffman Center
Helping to support the arts in Kansas City can include monetary donations as well as investments of your time! Volunteers generously share their time to fill the 50+ shifts required for every performance.
Some of the volunteer opportunities include:
- Usher
- Ticket Taker
- Plaza Lobby Greeter
- Building Monitor
- Bus Attendant
- Student Matinee Greeter
- Merchandise Table Attendant
- Program Stuffing
- Security Screening Greeter
- Administrative
- Tour Guide
There are many other positions available for our volunteers.
Benefits of Volunteering
Volunteers often act as the face of the Kauffman Center experience. They’re community members like you who take their personal time to put on the blue vests and make a patron’s visit to the Kauffman Center more welcoming and rewarding.
As a way to say thank you for their efforts, Kauffman Center volunteers receive benefits including:
- A month-long celebration of volunteers (including events, treats, and more)
- Presentation of the Kauffman Spirit award to five outstanding volunteers
- Flexible scheduling and excellent training
- Volunteer-specific social outings
- And more!
Giving Is Receiving at the Kauffman Center
You can support the arts at the Kauffman Center in so many ways! Contact us and let’s find the one that suits you best.
Some other ways to keep the performing arts strong and alive in Kansas City include the following.
Seat Naming
Add your name, or the name of someone you admire, to a seat naming plaque that’s attached to a seat in Muriel Kauffman Theatre or Helzberg Hall. This way, each performance can honor them as a patron enjoys the show!
Online Donations
For those who just want to give to the arts, online donations can help you support the arts simply and easily. Your individual gifts of cash, stock or appreciated property, in any amount, always make a difference. And because the Kauffman Center is a 501(c)(3) charitable performing arts nonprofit, you can deduct the donation from your taxes to the extent allowed by law.
Children’s Wall
The Kauffman Center Children’s Handprint Wall lets community members support the arts while also recognizing an important child in their life. To coincide with the Kauffman Center’s anniversary, new handprints are installed on the Children’s Handprint Wall every September.
You’ll find this beautiful tribute located on the main entry level of the Kauffman Center. You make the handprint at home, submit via mail or digitally, and the handprint, including the child’s name and age is installed permanently on the wall, thanks to your donation.
Become Part of the Performance
When you support the arts through a donation to the Kauffman Center, you’re helping to continue a legacy of shared culture and experiences to last through generations. Every dollar gifted, every volunteer shift, becomes part of the Kauffman Center goal: excellence for everyone.
Donate now, or call our manager of individual giving at 816.994.7927.
About the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Along with providing amazing, state-of-the-art facilities for performances, the Kauffman Center also makes performances affordable for a wide range of diverse Kansas City populations. Contact us for special ticket pricing and to book a tour for your group.
From pop performances to classical concerts, Broadway to ballet, opera to presentations, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is truly where art and community meet.
